Euro 2028 Tournament

Euro 2028 — the tournament

The 18th UEFA European Championship takes place from June 9 to July 9, 2028 across the United Kingdom and Ireland. 24 teams. 51 matches. 9 stadiums. 8 cities. 4 host nations. One month of the best football on earth.

Host nations

England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland co-host the tournament. Northern Ireland was originally part of the bid but lost host status after the Casement Park stadium redevelopment was cancelled. The four host nations are not guaranteed automatic qualification — they must earn their place through qualifiers, with a safety net reserving two spots for the best-ranked hosts who do not qualify directly. If qualified, each host nation plays all group matches in front of their home fans: Wales at Principality Stadium (Cardiff), England at Etihad/Wembley (Manchester/London), Scotland at Hampden Park (Glasgow), Republic of Ireland at Aviva Stadium (Dublin).

Defending champions

Spain won Euro 2024 in Germany, beating England in the final. Spain are the only nation to have won back-to-back European Championships (2008 and 2012) and will be aiming for an unprecedented three-peat. England, as hosts and Euro 2024 runners-up, will be among the favourites on home soil.

Format

24 teams divided into 6 groups of 4. Group stage: each team plays 3 matches (one against each group opponent). Top 2 from each group qualify automatically for the round of 16. The 4 best third-placed teams also advance (16 teams total in the knockout stage). Knockout stage: single-leg elimination — round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, final. No third-place play-off. Extra time and penalties if required in knockout matches.

Schedule overview

June 9: Opening match at Principality Stadium, Cardiff (potentially Wales). June 9–22: Group stage (3 matchdays per group, 36 matches total). June 24–27: Round of 16 (8 matches). June 29–30: Quarter-finals (4 matches at Wembley, Cardiff, Glasgow, Dublin). July 4–5: Semi-finals (both at Wembley). July 9: Final at Wembley Stadium, London. All matches kick off at 14:00, 17:00 or 20:00 local time.

Stadiums

Wembley Stadium, London (90,000) — semi-finals and final. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London (62,850). Principality Stadium, Cardiff (74,434) — opening match. Manchester City Stadium (53,400). Everton Stadium, Liverpool (52,888). St James' Park, Newcastle (52,305). Villa Park, Birmingham (50,000+). Hampden Park, Glasgow (52,032). Dublin Arena (51,700).

Qualifying

The qualifying group stage draw takes place on December 6, 2026 in Belfast. The qualifying campaign runs through 2027, with play-offs in early 2028. The final draw for the Euro 2028 tournament will follow the completion of qualifying.